A hectare is an SI unit of area. 100 hectares are equal to approximately 1 square kilometre. Hectares and acres are commonly used in measuring farmland.
Saturday, 31 December 2016
Les Arenes de Lutece - Amongst the last vestiges of Roman Paris in 5eme
This is a Roman amphitheatre in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, also known as the Latin quarter. The 5th arrondissement is the only district left where the remains of Roman Paris can be seen.
The arena's name comes from Lutetia, the Roman name for Paris.
The amphitheatre (which lies on the Rue Monge) was actually discovered in more recent times during the building of the Rue Monge, a road running roughly North-South starting at Rue Lagrange and crossing the Rue des Ecoles.
The author Victor Hugo (who wrote Les Miserables in 1862) was one of the intellectuals pushing for the preservation of the arena.
Another notable relic from Roman times is the baths of Cluny (Thermes de Cluny) partly absorbed into the Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages, which houses a very important tapestry collection.
The arena's name comes from Lutetia, the Roman name for Paris.
The amphitheatre (which lies on the Rue Monge) was actually discovered in more recent times during the building of the Rue Monge, a road running roughly North-South starting at Rue Lagrange and crossing the Rue des Ecoles.
The author Victor Hugo (who wrote Les Miserables in 1862) was one of the intellectuals pushing for the preservation of the arena.
Another notable relic from Roman times is the baths of Cluny (Thermes de Cluny) partly absorbed into the Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages, which houses a very important tapestry collection.
Saturday, 17 December 2016
The Paris RER
The Paris RER express train consists of five lines, A, B, C, D and E.
A map of the lines and the zones they cover can be found here.
The "RER C" train goes from Paris to Versailles to the West (station "Versailles Rive Gauche", Zone 5), subroute C5. "Ligne C" also goes via Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel and St Michel Notre Dame stations along the South (left) bank of the Seine.
Paris Metro tickets are valid for RER trains within Zones 1-2.
Notre Dame to Versailles is a roughly one hour journey. RER stands for Réseau Express Régional, serving Paris and its suburbs.
A map of the lines and the zones they cover can be found here.
The "RER C" train goes from Paris to Versailles to the West (station "Versailles Rive Gauche", Zone 5), subroute C5. "Ligne C" also goes via Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel and St Michel Notre Dame stations along the South (left) bank of the Seine.
Paris Metro tickets are valid for RER trains within Zones 1-2.
Notre Dame to Versailles is a roughly one hour journey. RER stands for Réseau Express Régional, serving Paris and its suburbs.
The Louvre
The Louvre in Paris is the world's largest museum. The nearest train station is the Palais-Royale Musée du Louvre (lines 1 and 7).
Line 1 goes from La Défense in the West to Château de Vincennes (a royal fortress) in the East. It passes the Louvre and also the Champs Élysée.
Line 1 goes from La Défense in the West to Château de Vincennes (a royal fortress) in the East. It passes the Louvre and also the Champs Élysée.
Brioche Buns and Other Viennoiseries
A brioche bun is an enriched bread bun. Such food are known as viennoiseries, or baked goods which are "almost pastries". Examples would be pain au chocolat, pain au raisin and Danish pastries. Croissants also fit this category and form a common part of a continental breakfast.
What is Phenylalanine?
Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, first described in 1879. It is not synthesised by the human body and must therefore be ingested. It is found in eggs, chicken, beef, milk and soybeans.
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Allied (2016)
Allied stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard (who previously starred in La Vie en Rose, a biopic based on the life of Edith Piaf) in the lead roles as Max and Marianne Beausejour. Chicago-born Robert Zemeckis of Back to the Future fame directs.
Saturday, 26 November 2016
Métro de Paris
Overview and Journey Planner
The Métro de Paris is the rapid transit system for Paris, run by the state-owned RATP.
RATP has a Journey Planner application that works out the fastest way to get from A to B.
It is the third busiest metro system in Europe and its icon is a blue letter "M" in a blue circle. It first opened in July 1900 during the "Exposition Universelle" of the same year.
The first trains leave the terminus at 5.30 in the morning. Some of the trains are driverless, for example on Line 14.
In total there are three hundred stations, compared to two hundred and seventy on the London Underground, and sixteen lines.
Line 1 (Yellow, West-East)
Line 1 runs East-West across Paris and is 16.5km long. Its major interchange is Châtelet. From Châtelet it travels to the Louvre Museum and Champs Elysee to the West, en route to Grande Arche.
Line 4 (Purple, North-South)
Line 4 runs North-South. It goes from Porte de Clignancourt (the location of a famous flea market in Montmartre) in the North to Mairie de Montrouge in the south. In the middle it connects St Michel on the left bank of the Seine to the interchange at Châtelet.
Line 6 (Green- Smile Shape)
Goes from Charles de Gaulle Etoile (site of the Arc de Triomphe), south to Passy, a wealthy area, across the Seine to Bir Hakeim (home of the Eiffel Tower, and named after a battle found in Libya, where the French fought Germany and Italy) and then eastwards and northwards to Nation, which takes its name from Place de la Nation.
The Métro de Paris is the rapid transit system for Paris, run by the state-owned RATP.
RATP has a Journey Planner application that works out the fastest way to get from A to B.
It is the third busiest metro system in Europe and its icon is a blue letter "M" in a blue circle. It first opened in July 1900 during the "Exposition Universelle" of the same year.
The first trains leave the terminus at 5.30 in the morning. Some of the trains are driverless, for example on Line 14.
In total there are three hundred stations, compared to two hundred and seventy on the London Underground, and sixteen lines.
Line 1 (Yellow, West-East)
Line 1 runs East-West across Paris and is 16.5km long. Its major interchange is Châtelet. From Châtelet it travels to the Louvre Museum and Champs Elysee to the West, en route to Grande Arche.
Line 4 (Purple, North-South)
Line 4 runs North-South. It goes from Porte de Clignancourt (the location of a famous flea market in Montmartre) in the North to Mairie de Montrouge in the south. In the middle it connects St Michel on the left bank of the Seine to the interchange at Châtelet.
Line 6 (Green- Smile Shape)
Goes from Charles de Gaulle Etoile (site of the Arc de Triomphe), south to Passy, a wealthy area, across the Seine to Bir Hakeim (home of the Eiffel Tower, and named after a battle found in Libya, where the French fought Germany and Italy) and then eastwards and northwards to Nation, which takes its name from Place de la Nation.
Montmartre - The Mount of Mars
Montmartre is in the 18th arrondissement, on a hill dominated by the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. There is also another, older church on the hill known as Saint Pierre de Montmartre.
Many artists such as the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali, Picasso, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh stayed and worked around this area. Its name derives from Latin for "Mount of Mars".
Montmartre was a separate village outside of Paris until it was annexed by the expanding city in 1860. French politician and future French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau was elected Mayor of the 18th arrondissement in 1870 which included jurisdiction over Montmartre.
The films Amélie and Moulin Rouge! (both 2001) are set in Montmartre. The 1951 film "An American in Paris" starring Gene Kelly as struggling expatriate painter, has key scenes in Montmartre.
Metro stations in Montmartre include Abbesses (the station entrance is designed in the Art Nouveau style of Hector Guimard), Jules Joffrin and Porte de Clignancourt. Eateries include Le Ruisseau on the rue du ruisseau.
Many artists such as the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali, Picasso, Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh stayed and worked around this area. Its name derives from Latin for "Mount of Mars".
Montmartre was a separate village outside of Paris until it was annexed by the expanding city in 1860. French politician and future French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau was elected Mayor of the 18th arrondissement in 1870 which included jurisdiction over Montmartre.
The films Amélie and Moulin Rouge! (both 2001) are set in Montmartre. The 1951 film "An American in Paris" starring Gene Kelly as struggling expatriate painter, has key scenes in Montmartre.
Metro stations in Montmartre include Abbesses (the station entrance is designed in the Art Nouveau style of Hector Guimard), Jules Joffrin and Porte de Clignancourt. Eateries include Le Ruisseau on the rue du ruisseau.
Sunday, 20 November 2016
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) - Hint: 1920s New York
A 2016 film based on the 2001 book of the same name, whose main protagonist is Newt Scamander, a magician who turns up in 1920s New York with a suitcase full of fantastic beasts. The book contains a variety of beasts many of which are taken from mythology and folklore. An example is the Grindylow, which come from tales from Yorkshire and Lancashire and are connected to Grendel, one of the antagonists in the poem Beowulf, often cited as the most famous work of Old English literature. Merseyside-born director David Yates directs.
Saturday, 12 November 2016
Types of Noodles: From Udon, Soba to Vermicelli
Udon - thick wheat noodles. In its simplest form it is called kake udon. Soba - buckwheat noodles. Contains thiamine (vitamin B1) and all essential amino acids. Ho fun - is a type of rice noodle, wide and white in colour. Vermicelli - is a type of pasta similar to spaghetti.
Saturday, 5 November 2016
Thomas Mann on What is A Writer
Thomas Mann was a Nobel literature laureate. He once defined a writer as “somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” A good writer is never satisfied with their work. One of Mann's known works was Buddenbrooks (1901) published when he was 26 years old.
Walter de la Mare
Who was Walter de la Mare?
He was born in 1873 in Charlton (part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, England, and home of Charlton Athletic F.C.) as Walter John de la Mare.
He worked for Standard Oil for 18 years and wrote while working. His first book of poems was Songs of Childhood.
He won the Carnegie Medal in 1947, a British literary award for children's fiction, named after the Scottish-born American philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, who himself was a published writer, commenting on business and industrial relations issues. Walter was one of the earliest recipients of this award.
Other winners of the Carnegie Medal include Northumberland-born Robert Westall for the Machine Gunners (double winner 1975, 1981).
He was born in 1873 in Charlton (part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, England, and home of Charlton Athletic F.C.) as Walter John de la Mare.
He worked for Standard Oil for 18 years and wrote while working. His first book of poems was Songs of Childhood.
He won the Carnegie Medal in 1947, a British literary award for children's fiction, named after the Scottish-born American philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, who himself was a published writer, commenting on business and industrial relations issues. Walter was one of the earliest recipients of this award.
Other winners of the Carnegie Medal include Northumberland-born Robert Westall for the Machine Gunners (double winner 1975, 1981).
Friday, 21 October 2016
How is Bioethanol Produced?
Bioethanol is produced mainly from the process of sugar fermentation.
Fermentation is a metabolic process (it occurs within cells).
It converts sugars (example: glucose - C6H12O6) to acids, gases or alcohol. Glucose fermentation produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. An enzyme in yeast acts as a catalyst for fermentation. Beer's gassy head is CO2.
An alternative method of producing bioethanol is reacting ethylene with steam.
Energy crops such as corn and wheat are often used.
Ethanol is a high octane fuel and has replaced lead as an octane enhancer in petrol.
Fermentation is a metabolic process (it occurs within cells).
It converts sugars (example: glucose - C6H12O6) to acids, gases or alcohol. Glucose fermentation produces ethanol and carbon dioxide. An enzyme in yeast acts as a catalyst for fermentation. Beer's gassy head is CO2.
An alternative method of producing bioethanol is reacting ethylene with steam.
Energy crops such as corn and wheat are often used.
Ethanol is a high octane fuel and has replaced lead as an octane enhancer in petrol.
Saturday, 8 October 2016
Deepwater Horizon (2016), directed by Peter Berg
Deepwater Horizon was an offshore drilling rig.
It was registered in Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands (equatorial islands in the Pacific Ocean) and constructed in 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries.
It was owned by Transocean and leased to BP. Deepwater Horizon drilled the deepest oil well in history in September 2009 at a vertical depth of 10,683m in the Tiber Oil Field in the Gulf of Mexico.
It used both
DP uses differential GPS, as the position obtained by ordinary GPS is insufficiently accurate for Dynamic Positioning.
Differential GPS improves accuracy with the aid of a ground-based reference station.
A film based on the blowout at the Deepwater Horizon was directed by New York-born Peter Berg (who also directed Battleship in 2012) starring Dorchester, Boston-born Mark Wahlberg.
Dorchester is steeped in history; it was founded a few months before the founding of the City of Boston.
It was registered in Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands (equatorial islands in the Pacific Ocean) and constructed in 2001 by Hyundai Heavy Industries.
It was owned by Transocean and leased to BP. Deepwater Horizon drilled the deepest oil well in history in September 2009 at a vertical depth of 10,683m in the Tiber Oil Field in the Gulf of Mexico.
It used both
- semi-submersible (think "floating oi rig") and
- dynamic positioning (DP) technology.
DP uses differential GPS, as the position obtained by ordinary GPS is insufficiently accurate for Dynamic Positioning.
Differential GPS improves accuracy with the aid of a ground-based reference station.
A film based on the blowout at the Deepwater Horizon was directed by New York-born Peter Berg (who also directed Battleship in 2012) starring Dorchester, Boston-born Mark Wahlberg.
Dorchester is steeped in history; it was founded a few months before the founding of the City of Boston.
Tuesday, 4 October 2016
Nobel Prize in Physics 2016 Awarded for Topology Applied to Materials Science
The Winners
Half of the prize goes to David Thouless. The rest is shared between Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz.
A Common Academic Background
Thouless attended Trinity Hall, one of the oldest of the 31 colleges in the UK's Cambridge University, founded by the Bishop Bateman of Norwich in 1350.
Michael attended Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge (alumni are known as "Caians") and Duncan Haldane at Christ's College Cambridge, a relatively modern college having been founded in 1505.
What they are doing now
Duncan Haldane teaches Physics at Princeton University. All three are experts in condensed matter physics.
What is topology very roughly?
Topology is the study of spaces whose properties remain constant under continuous deformation like stretching and bending. It's useful mathematics because its linked to the physical world.
Keeping up to speed with the Physics world
Nature Physics is a publication that gives you updates on the latest research impacting Physics.
Half of the prize goes to David Thouless. The rest is shared between Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz.
A Common Academic Background
Thouless attended Trinity Hall, one of the oldest of the 31 colleges in the UK's Cambridge University, founded by the Bishop Bateman of Norwich in 1350.
Michael attended Gonville and Caius College in Cambridge (alumni are known as "Caians") and Duncan Haldane at Christ's College Cambridge, a relatively modern college having been founded in 1505.
What they are doing now
Duncan Haldane teaches Physics at Princeton University. All three are experts in condensed matter physics.
What is topology very roughly?
Topology is the study of spaces whose properties remain constant under continuous deformation like stretching and bending. It's useful mathematics because its linked to the physical world.
Keeping up to speed with the Physics world
Nature Physics is a publication that gives you updates on the latest research impacting Physics.
Monday, 3 October 2016
What Exacty is Ivory?
Ivory is a hard material made from animals' tusks and teeth. The ivory obtained from all species is chemically the same, it's a compound of calcium called dentine. Apart from elephants, the main source of ivory, it can also be obtained from walrus, hippopotamus and narwhal.
What are Range States?
The term Range State is sometimes heard in the context of environmental news. It refers to any nation in which a particular species inhabits or crosses as part of its normal migration route. The term is used by international conservation organizations in the context of formulating conservation policy.
The Range State term is used particularly in the CMS legislation, or Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. More succinctly, it is known as the Bonn Convention. It is construed under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Program.
The Range State term is used particularly in the CMS legislation, or Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. More succinctly, it is known as the Bonn Convention. It is construed under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Program.
Sunday, 2 October 2016
The Nobel Prize in Physics
To understand the impact of physics on the world, and the achievements of physicists in recent history, it is very important to have, at very least, a cursory awareness of the Nobel Prize of Physics over the years, and the winners who won them. It has been awarded since 1901, with the first winner being Wilhelm Roentgen, who discovered "Roentgen Rays" now better known as "X rays". He donated the monetary reward he received to his university. The 1902 prize was awarded to Lorentz and Zeeman for the discovery and theoretical explanation of the "Zeeman effect". Its practical use is in magnetograms showing the variations in the magnetic field of the sun.
When did the Dinosaurs Get Extinct?
The dinosaurs are believed to have gone extinct around 66 million years ago, as part of a mass extinction sometimes known as Cretaceous-Tertiary (or "K-T") extinction that wiped out as many as three quarters of plant and animal species on earth. Evidence for this extinction lies in iridium rich layer of sediment found in rocks believed to have come from an asteroid.
The asteroid theory has been dubbed the Alvarez hypothesis after the Nobel prize winner and San Francisco-born Luis Alvarez who proposed it. Luis Alvarez gained his PhD from the University of Chicago and was a member of California's Bohemian Club (founded 1872). Observing particle interactions through a bubble chamber he designed was key to him winning the Nobel Prize.
The asteroid theory has been dubbed the Alvarez hypothesis after the Nobel prize winner and San Francisco-born Luis Alvarez who proposed it. Luis Alvarez gained his PhD from the University of Chicago and was a member of California's Bohemian Club (founded 1872). Observing particle interactions through a bubble chamber he designed was key to him winning the Nobel Prize.
Saturday, 24 September 2016
What is Quechua?
Quechua is a language spoken in the Andes in South America. It was the language of the Inca empire. However there is limited written material on it and it remains primarily a spoken language.
Sunday, 18 September 2016
The Infiltrator (2016)
The Infiltrator (2016) is a movie directed by Brad Furman, who also directed The Lincoln Lawyer (2011). He has also directed music videos. It is based on a real life story from the 1980s that exposed the money laundering operation of Pablo Escobar and took down BCCI.
Land of Bhutan and its Biodiversity
Evidence shows that Bhutan was inhabited as early as 2000 BC. Buddhism was introduced to Bhutan in the 7th Century AD. Animals include the golden langur, also found in Western Assam in India. The takin is the national animal, which, according to mitochondrial research, is closely related to the sheep.
Land of Bhutan
Evidence shows that Bhutan was inhabited as early as 2000 BC. Buddhism was introduced to Bhutan in the 7th Century AD. Animals include the golden langur, also found in Western Assam in India. The takin is the national animal, which, according to mitochondrial research, is closely related to the sheep.
Saturday, 10 September 2016
Ben Hur (2016)
The Modern Remake of Ben Hur
A remake of the famous 1959 film staring Charlton Heston (who was born in Wilmette, Illinois (part of Cook County)).
The 2016 version stars English-American Jack Huston in the title role of Judah Ben-Hur.
Toby Kebbell plays his Roman brother Messala.
It was made to a budget of $100m and filmed in Matera, Southern Italy.
Copenhagen-born, Danish Pilou Asbaek played Pontius Pilate, a prefect of the Roman province of Judaea.
The Original Ben Hur
The original Ben-Hur film was based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace, who apart from being an author, was also a general in the American Civil War.
The formerly named "Ben Hur Museum" can be visited in Crawfordsville, Indiana, built by Lew Wallace as a "detached room away from the world and its worries". Ben-Hur was a stage production, before it became a film, or rather a series of films.
A remake of the famous 1959 film staring Charlton Heston (who was born in Wilmette, Illinois (part of Cook County)).
The 2016 version stars English-American Jack Huston in the title role of Judah Ben-Hur.
Toby Kebbell plays his Roman brother Messala.
It was made to a budget of $100m and filmed in Matera, Southern Italy.
Copenhagen-born, Danish Pilou Asbaek played Pontius Pilate, a prefect of the Roman province of Judaea.
The Original Ben Hur
The original Ben-Hur film was based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace, who apart from being an author, was also a general in the American Civil War.
The formerly named "Ben Hur Museum" can be visited in Crawfordsville, Indiana, built by Lew Wallace as a "detached room away from the world and its worries". Ben-Hur was a stage production, before it became a film, or rather a series of films.
Tuesday, 30 August 2016
Zoos
The Zoological Society of London operates two zoos - one, the famous London Zoo in Regents Park (open every day except Christmas Day) and two, ZSL Whipsnade, formerly known as Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire (also the home of the "otterly adorable" Woburn Estate, which includes a road safari) where larger animals have been moved. Bedfordshire is just a "county away" from London, basically you have to cross Hertforshire to get there. It is adjacent to Cambridgeshire. London Zoo is worth a mention. It is on the North side of 197 hectare Regent's Park (aka The Regent's Park). Amongst its interesting inhabitants are Komodo Dragons. Primrose Hill is on the other side of the Prince Albert Road.
Samba Food
Carne de Sol is a Northern Brazilian dish. It is made from salted beef left in the sun similar to Biltong. It may be fried or served in a hamburger.
Feijoada is another famous Brazilian dish, akin to a pork and beef stew with black beans. Its name derives from a Portuguese word meaning "beans". It is eaten all year round and two cooks will likely make different Feijoadas.
Feijoada is another famous Brazilian dish, akin to a pork and beef stew with black beans. Its name derives from a Portuguese word meaning "beans". It is eaten all year round and two cooks will likely make different Feijoadas.
Monday, 29 August 2016
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the UK
"Scheduled ancient monuments" in the UK are archaeological sites of "national importance". They are protected against unauthorised change under the AMAAA (Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act of 1979). It is administered by Historic England which was formed in April 2015 from the split of English Heritage into Historic England and the English Heritage Trust that looks after the "National Heritage Collection" of 400 historic sites including Dover Castle.
Who was Papa Doc?
"Papa Doc" was the name given to François Duvalier, President of Haiti (which means "mountainous land") from 1957 to 1971 - alluding to his previous profession as a physician. He took on the term "President for Life" from 1964. A book written about the "Papa Doc" era in Haiti is Graham Greene's "The Comedians". Following the publication of the book, Graham Greene was declared a persona non grata and barred from entering Haiti. The book was made into a film in 1967 starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Haiti occupies the Western most end of the island formerly known as Hispaniola (the Eastern side is the Dominican Republic).
Saturday, 27 August 2016
War Dogs (2016)
Jonah Hill and Miles Teller tell a tale of non-canine heroism in"War Dogs". Miles is a graduate of Tisch School of Arts. Jonah Hill wrote his own plays and began performing them in the East Village of New York City.
Friday, 5 August 2016
Rio 2016 Olympics and the "Bossa Nova"
The 2016 Olympic Games is being held in Rio and the number of TV viewers for the opening ceremony, to be held in the Maracana Stadium, is estimated at 3 billion. The Maracana Stadium is connected to the rest of Rio by Metro Rio and is one stop from Sao Cristovao (Saint Christopher) and hosts football for the Games. It was opening in 1950 but has since been redeveloped.
Rio is famous for many things including Carnival, samba, bossa nova (one of the best known genres of Brazilian music.. a fusion between samba and jazz) and beaches like the Copacabana, which is served by three Metro stations.
Rio is famous for many things including Carnival, samba, bossa nova (one of the best known genres of Brazilian music.. a fusion between samba and jazz) and beaches like the Copacabana, which is served by three Metro stations.
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Central Intelligence (2016)
Action comedy starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson ("The Rock"). BB curls (a.k.a barbell curls) and tricep dips are integral to "The Rock"'s workout. San Francisco born Rawson Marshall Thurber (director of Dodgeball, 2004) directs.
Thursday, 30 June 2016
The Burren
The Burren (from the Irish meaning "Great Rock") is a 250 square kilometre karst landscape in Ireland's County Clare. It is located within one of Ireland's six national parks. The karst feature creates the appearance of "limestone pavements" over the hills.
Saturday, 4 June 2016
The Nice Guys (2016)
The Nice Guys is set in Los Angeles in the 1970s. The principal characters Jackson Healy and Holland March are played by Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling respectively. In Spain the film is being released under Dos buenos tipos. It was filmed in Los Angeles with some scenes filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sunday, 22 May 2016
The Role of Rhodes in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Rhodes was the location of the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the Greek god Helios.
It was built to celebrate the defence of Rhodes against Macedonian invasion under Antigonus, and destroyed in the earthquake in 226 BC. Rhodes was an ally of Ptolemy I (Ptolemy I "Soter" - the "Saviour").
It was built to celebrate the defence of Rhodes against Macedonian invasion under Antigonus, and destroyed in the earthquake in 226 BC. Rhodes was an ally of Ptolemy I (Ptolemy I "Soter" - the "Saviour").
Saturday, 21 May 2016
A Hologram for the King (2016)
A Hologram for the King (2016) is film starring Concord California-born Tom Hanks who plays Alan Clay, the main protagonist in the book by Boston-born writer Dave Eggers, who lives in San Francisco.
Alan Clay is a man on a mission - a mission to sell an IT system to Saudi Arabia.
Filming locations included Morocco and the Red Sea province of Hurghada, Egypt (which includes the Soma Bay resort).
Tom Tykwer, Wuppertal-born director and screenwriter, also wrote and directed the 1998 hit film Run Lola Run and 2012's Cloud Atlas, based on David Mitchell's book of the same name, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Sunday, 8 May 2016
Irish, Gaelic, Irish Gaelic
Irish, Gaelic and Irish Gaelic are all names of the Irish language which is one of the official languages of the European Union.
Lough Corrib
Lough Corrib is a lake in the West of Ireland. It covers 176 square kilometres and lies mostly in County Galway.
Jungle Book (2016)
"You know who I am?" asks King Louie when he meets Mowgli. "I am the King of the Bandar Log. Call me Louie" - although in Kipling's original story, the Bandar Log have no King. In the 2016 remake of the Disney film, Louie is presented as a Gigantopithecus whereas in the Disney original he is an orang-utan. Idris Elba voices Shere Khan.
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
Bastille Day (2016)
Stars Idris Elba, who grew up in East Ham. Bastille Day is the English name for the French national day also known as "le quatorze juillet" and commemorates the storming of the Bastille ("prise de la Bastille") as shown in this painting by Jean-Pierre Houel, the Rouen-born painter. The French Revolution occurred during his lifetime.
Patina
Patina is a layer that forms on the surface of copper, bronze and similar metals (when it is often called verdigris), as well as on stone. It is the layer that has formed on the copper surface of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Saturday, 23 April 2016
Chlorophyll a
This is a form of chlorophyll used in a particular form of photosynthesis. It reflects green and yellow light and so contributes to the green colour of most plants. The pigment absorbs light converting photons into chemical energy. They are the "solar panels" of the natural world.
Wednesday, 20 April 2016
RSW on Fishing Vessels
RSW stands for refrigerated sea water. The aim is to chill the catch quickly and uniformly to maintain the quality of the seafood.
Saturday, 16 April 2016
Old School Navigation - The Decca Navigator
The Decca Navigator was an old-school radio navigation system dating from World War II for ships and aircraft to determine their position relative to fixed beacons. The Allied forces used the system to achieve accurate landings. Fishing vessels were major post-war users. GPS took over in the 1990s.
Saturday, 9 April 2016
The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016)
Eric the Huntsman, played by Melbourne-born Chris Hemsworth, and Sara, played by Sacramento-born Jessica Chastain, who studied at Juilliard, join forces against the two queens taking over the land. The film is directed by visual effects expert Cedric Nicolas-Troyan who started his career in compositing and was born in Talence, a suburb of the city of Bordeaux. Dagenham-born Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, 2004) also stars.
Batman versus Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Superheroes Batman (aka Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, played by Berkeley-born Ben Affleck) takes on Superman (played by Henry Cavill, who debuted in Texas-born Kevin Reynold's 2002 production of The Count of Monte Cristo, as Albert), both DC Comics icons, in this movie. At one point, Batman delivers a very strong kick to Superman, but also uses Kryptonite, which makes Superman weak. The movie is as much about technologically and scientifically equipped and well prepared Man versus the raw, alien strength of Superman, who is representative of the force of Nature. There is also an element of an older Batman facing off against a younger Superman. Eventually the heroes unite to fight the monster created by Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor, Superman's greatest enemy. The monster is eventually destroyed through a Kryptonite mace. Gal Gadot (Gisele in Fast and Furious 2009) also features as ex-Amazonian princess, Wonder Woman. The film is directed by Zack Snyder who also started Cruel and Unusual Films. Zack made his directorial debut with a remake of the 1978 film Dawn of the Dead.
Saturday, 5 March 2016
The New York Times Best Seller List
The List is Multiple Lists
The New York Times Best Seller List ranks books by sales, in print and e-book format, fiction and non-fiction, hardpack and paperback. There are also separate lists for Business, Education, Adventures and Science.
Topping the Business best seller list.. Originals
Originals by Adam Grant. It is about "how to champion new ideas and fight groupthink". It features an entrepreneur who pitches startups by highlighting reasons not to invest. (Agenda Setting, General Management).
Michael Lewis' The Big Short is steady at number two. (Finance).
At three, former Hillary Clinton advisor Alec Ross weighs in with "The Industries of The Future" published by Simon and Schuster. Data ubiquity, markets and trust, robotics and genomics are among the topics considered. (Disruptive Change).
Overall Fiction Topper..Me Before You
Me Before You by Jo Jo Moyes tops the overall print and e-book fiction list.
At number two is "The Girl in the Spider's Web" which is the fourth novel in the Millennium Series starting with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".
The New York Times Best Seller List ranks books by sales, in print and e-book format, fiction and non-fiction, hardpack and paperback. There are also separate lists for Business, Education, Adventures and Science.
Topping the Business best seller list.. Originals
Originals by Adam Grant. It is about "how to champion new ideas and fight groupthink". It features an entrepreneur who pitches startups by highlighting reasons not to invest. (Agenda Setting, General Management).
Michael Lewis' The Big Short is steady at number two. (Finance).
At three, former Hillary Clinton advisor Alec Ross weighs in with "The Industries of The Future" published by Simon and Schuster. Data ubiquity, markets and trust, robotics and genomics are among the topics considered. (Disruptive Change).
Overall Fiction Topper..Me Before You
Me Before You by Jo Jo Moyes tops the overall print and e-book fiction list.
At number two is "The Girl in the Spider's Web" which is the fourth novel in the Millennium Series starting with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".
Tuesday, 1 March 2016
Overs and Innings, Silly Mid Off and Silly Mid On - A Guide to the Terms of Cricket
What is an Over?
An over is six balls bowled from one end of a cricket pitch excluding wide balls and no balls.
After an over, called by the Umpire, a different bowler comes online to bowl from the opposite end of the pitch - the batsmen however remain in their positions. Bowlers may not bowl successive overs, but may alternate. In limited overs cricket, bowlers may be deployed for a maximum percentage of overs e.g. no more than 20% of balls per innings.
What is an innings?
An innings is a division of a match where one side takes turn to bat. First class fixtures have up to four innings, with each team getting to bat twice.
Other technical terms: a maiden over is one in which no runs are scored. Silly mid off and silly mid on are positions to the left and the right of the bowler respectively. The furthest point forward facing the bowler (or equivalently, directly behind the wicket keeper) is the Long Stop, and the furthest point behind is the Straight Hit. The extreme left of the bowler is the Deep Cover and the extreme right is the Deep Midwicket.
An over is six balls bowled from one end of a cricket pitch excluding wide balls and no balls.
After an over, called by the Umpire, a different bowler comes online to bowl from the opposite end of the pitch - the batsmen however remain in their positions. Bowlers may not bowl successive overs, but may alternate. In limited overs cricket, bowlers may be deployed for a maximum percentage of overs e.g. no more than 20% of balls per innings.
What is an innings?
An innings is a division of a match where one side takes turn to bat. First class fixtures have up to four innings, with each team getting to bat twice.
Other technical terms: a maiden over is one in which no runs are scored. Silly mid off and silly mid on are positions to the left and the right of the bowler respectively. The furthest point forward facing the bowler (or equivalently, directly behind the wicket keeper) is the Long Stop, and the furthest point behind is the Straight Hit. The extreme left of the bowler is the Deep Cover and the extreme right is the Deep Midwicket.
Sunday, 28 February 2016
Air Hockey
Air Hockey is a two player where both sides try to push the puck into the opponent's goal. It is a played on a special low friction surface. Its origins are in America in the early 1970s.
It was invented by employees of Brunswick Billiards.
Manufacturers include TekScore and Kostkowice-based Wik.
It was invented by employees of Brunswick Billiards.
Manufacturers include TekScore and Kostkowice-based Wik.
Sunday, 21 February 2016
Ride Along 2 (2016)
Ice Cube and Kevin Hart are back for a bust up in Miami. The film starts with Finna Get Loose ends with KRS-ONE's Sound of Da Police. The film is directed by Los Angeles-born Tim Story.
Production houses involved include Santa Monica based Cube Vision and Universal Pictures.
Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay were involved in the writing for the film.
Production houses involved include Santa Monica based Cube Vision and Universal Pictures.
Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay were involved in the writing for the film.
Friday, 19 February 2016
Zoolander 2 (2016)
Ben Stiller comes back as Derek Zoolander (a.k.a. Erek Toolander) and Owen Wilson returns as Hansel up against the wily Mugatu (played by Will Ferrell). Billy Zane plays himself.
Thursday, 18 February 2016
Where do Kettlebells come from?
Kettlebells were developed in Russia in the 1700s for weighing crops.
Sunday, 31 January 2016
Search 1,000 Years of History
The National Archives provides a search engine for one thousand years of history.
Saturday, 23 January 2016
Solid State Physics - What is it?
Solid state physics is exactly what the name says, it's the study of the physics (physical properties) of solids and how they emanate from properties at the atomic level.
In other words, it is about how the micro impacts the macro.
Practically speaking, solid state physics is the theoretic basis of the very practical science of Materials. Materials science has led to the development, for example, of composite materials.
Many universities are pursuing research into solid state physics. Examples include Warwick University which has a research team focusing on ssNMR (solid state nuclear magnetic resonance).
Solid state physics aside, it is extraordinarily beneficial to understand physics in general to understand:
a) how the world works
b) understand the future of science
In other words, it is about how the micro impacts the macro.
Practically speaking, solid state physics is the theoretic basis of the very practical science of Materials. Materials science has led to the development, for example, of composite materials.
Many universities are pursuing research into solid state physics. Examples include Warwick University which has a research team focusing on ssNMR (solid state nuclear magnetic resonance).
Solid state physics aside, it is extraordinarily beneficial to understand physics in general to understand:
a) how the world works
b) understand the future of science
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